Piercing Hatred | ✔️

37

~Flora's POV~

I picked out a pair of clothes the next morning after getting out of the shower, pulling on a high-waisted pair of grey pants with white pinstripes on them. My white crop top was long sleeved and a bit low cut, making my cleavage pop out but I didn't mind much.

Knox had already taken his sweet time in my bathroom and was lounging around in my bed when I finished getting dressed, having stayed with me last night. I spritzed a bit of perfume on and glanced over at him, watching as he hung one leg off the edge of my bed while the other stretched out comfortably on the sheets. He scrolled his finger over the screen of his phone, not noticing my gaze on him for once.

Setting my perfume back in its spot, I allowed my thoughts to drift to last night and how sweet Knox had been. After these changes between us, the growth that we had both gone through, I was beginning to realize just how much I liked Knox. Perhaps I even loved him. A warmth crept up my neck at the thought.

Yet even with how things had blossomed between us, there was still something which lingered in the back of my mind, even more so lately than before.

After a few moments of contemplating, I sat down at the end of the bed, pulling on a pair of white high-tops. I looked over at him when I was done, only to find that his eyes were already on me, his phone no longer in his hand. "Ready to go?" He asked, cocking up a brow curiously.

Though I wanted to talk to him about what was on my mind, I decided that it could wait and nodded my head instead, brushing my thoughts aside. "Yeah." I smiled, gaze following him when he stood up.

We both exited my apartment, Knox's hand finding it's way into mine as we headed out to his car.

**

I stabbed at my plate of food as I sat in the break room during lunch, stretching one leg out beneath the table while I absentmindedly bounced the other erratically.

The aggressive stab of my fork into a piece of chicken caused Odette to turn around from where she was over by the microwave, heating up a bowl of some sort of soup. I assumed she must've really liked soup because this was the fourth time I'd seen her eating it during lunch in just the past week, and three of those seven days I hadn't even been at work.

"Um.." Odette frowned and placed her hands on her hips, cocking up a brow as I shoved the chicken into my mouth. "Is there any reason you're stabbing your food hard enough to kill it a second time, Flo?" She asked, the subtle tilt of her lips telling me she found it amusing. I finished chewing my food before I glanced at her, narrowing my eyes. "Just making sure." I said dryly.

She rolled her eyes and turned back around, opening up the microwave to retrieve her bowl of soup. I stared at my food, thoughts drifting back to Knox, like they always seemed to.

Odette joined me at the table after getting her soup, plopping into the chair two seats away from mine. "No need for the sarcasm." She said, scooting in her chair more. "I've gotten pretty good at reading you, ya know. You're clearly upset about something." She told me smartly, setting her spoon into her bowl. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I just shrugged my shoulders, not bothering to respond despite the expectant look she had trained upon me.

"Does it have to do with Knox?" She continued attempting to ask, swirling her spoon through her bowl. "What did he do this time?" She wondered, shaking her head as if already disappointed in whatever imaginary thing he'd done wrong.

Not wanting her to get the wrong idea, I gave a quick shake of my head and stabbed my fork into another piece of chicken, more gently this time. "No, it's not like that. He didn't do anything." I assured, pushing the chicken around. "But I have had something on my mind lately.." I admitted quietly, flicking my eyes up to meet hers once more.

Spooning a bunch of soup into her mouth, she stared back at me expectantly, waiting for me to elaborate. I hesitated, taking a bite of my chicken while I considered whether or not to share.

"Well..." I began in a mumble after I swallowed my food, glancing towards the door to make sure nobody was coming in any time soon. "Knox and I have been having a lot of..fun," I stated, knowing she understood what I was getting at when she snorted, an amused look in her eye that I ignored. "And we hang out pretty much every day. It's been really nice, but we aren't really official yet." I told her, causing her to blink at me in what seemed to be genuine surprise. "You're not dating already?" She asked me, dumbfounded when I shook my head.

She set her spoon in her bowl and leaned her forearms against the table. "I'm guessing that's what has been bugging you, then?" She presumed correctly. I nodded in affirmation and began bouncing my knee again. "Yes. I've been wanting to bring it up, but I don't want to seem like I'm trying to push him into a relationship if he isn't ready for one yet. I mean, if he wanted me to be his girlfriend, he'd ask, right?" I frowned, a little bit uncertain as to what to do.

"It's not like he has to be the only one to ask, Flora. If you're bothered by it, then you need to bring it up. Just letting your feelings stress you out like that isn't good for anyone involved, and if you really want to be in a relationship with him, you need to be able to talk to him when something is on your mind." She practically lectured me, causing me to blush slightly in embarrassment. Why did I feel like I was a little kid being scolded in this situation?

"You're right.." I grumbled reluctantly in admittance, looking down at my plate with a pout. I hadn't ever really been in any kind of serious relationship before, which was probably part of the reason why I was so nervous at the mere idea of being the one to bring up the topic of a relationship to him. Having that conversation was something I worried would change things, but I knew Odette was right.

This was something that I needed to bring up, and even though I felt a bit nervous thinking about it, I also felt excited.